Since her mother was deported, Soledad Gutierrez has been juggling school and a job while working to bring her mother back to the U.S. Wanting to meet new people, Soledad joins a history club that requires her to take part in some questionable initiation practices, even though she is hesitant to complete them. Things get stressful, though, when someone informs the police about the questionable actions of the club's members, and Soledad fears her chances of helping her mother are gone. Bravo's debut highlights just a few of the struggles that young adults face when trying to fit into society and yet be themselves. The book is filled with a diverse group of young adults (different ethnicities and identities), and it features several elements of Soledad's Mexican culture as to immerse the readers, including conversations in Spanish between Soledad and her family that are left untranslated. Overall, a distinctive and enlightening read.

Bravo-s sincere but slow-moving debut opens with an unusual meet-cute: boy meets girl during the petty theft of a piece of cutlery. Still reeling from her mother-s deportation to Mexico, 18-year-old college freshman Soledad -Sol- Gutierrez impulsively agrees to steal a fork from an elderly couple-s home in a bid to join the history club and find her place at Westray Community College. Following a disastrous mid-theft encounter with her victims- college-age grandson, Ethan Winston, who is Black, Sol-s growing sense of guilt leads her to befriend him and attempt making amends; amid further club activities and capers, an unlikely romance blossoms between them. When the club-s initiation exploits attract unwanted attention, Sol and Ethan-s relationship-and the new life Sol has constructed for herself-threaten to collapse. While the novel-s inclusive supporting cast is underwritten and its first-person, slice of life-style narration occasionally veers into the mundane, Bravo-s portrait of how deportation of a loved one scars those left behind elevates the material: Sol-s choices, in life and love, do not exist inside a vacuum. The result is an earnest and timely read with convincing stakes. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)

Gr 7-10 Still recovering from the emotional turmoil of her mom's recent deportation, Soledad decides to attend her local community college. While struggling with all the challenges her family now faces, she begins rebuilding her life with a new on-campus job and an interest in joining student clubs. The history club, however, turns out to be more than she bargained for, with an initiation ritual that includes minor acts of trespassing and vandalism. Torn between belonging and violating the lawand making it harder for her mother to return to the United StatesSoledad turns to fellow club member Ethan for solace and romance. Their relationship becomes complicated when Soledad is forced to make a choice about how far her involvement will go. A slow pace weighs down this realistic romance. Characters face challenges that are unique to their backgrounds. Soledad's struggle to bring her mother back to the U.S. lends weight to her worries about participating in the initiation process, and elevates this story from forgettable to meaningful. VERDICT A thoughtful romance for fans of realistic fiction. Savannah Kitchens, Parnell Memorial Lib., Montevallo, AL